Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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177. To ask the Minister for Health if additional resources will be provided to the HSE to eliminate the long delays for persons being reimbursed for costs incurred in having surgery under the cross-border directive; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that such delays are causing undue hardship to persons and families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25675/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The HSE is responsible for the operation of the Cross Border Directive and the management of staffing levels for the HSE Cross Border Directive (CBD) office is an operational matter for the HSE. I have, therefore, asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.

It should be noted that the numbers of persons availing of the Directive has been increasing steadily for a number of years with a corresponding increase in the workload for the CBD office. I am aware that the HSE is currently considering a business case, and other interim steps, to address the issues which have arisen with regard to the processing of reimbursements.